Holidays Part 1

We started out the holiday season with one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. This year we were so lucky to be able to go to Utah with the Williams Family. We made the 9 hour drive to Ogden where Laura, Steve, and Dagny live. We spent the week with Jared's parents, sister Laura and her family, Craig and Jessica and Mary. Jared's grandma and all his aunts live there too, so it was a fun and crazy week! We had a delicious dinner, did lots of shopping, talking, and laughing, and even got to see the temple lights in Temple Square. I have only been to Temple Square once so it was a treat to be back! 

We also scored a FREE 7.5 ft Christmas Tree all thanks to Jared's sister who found it on the side of the road and stuck it in the truck for the drive up to AZ. It is brand new and was pre-lit... but none of the lights worked. So we spent the night taking off all the lights (which each bulb was either zip-tied or hooked on) and there was over 1000 bulbs. then we bought some new white lights and bam! gorgeous christmas tree! I am in Heaven!

 I also got a bit crafty this year and made my own garland with real christmas tree branches and mod podged different christmas paper to the back of a frame! After lots of spray paint, I have my favorite thing in my home! (J helped a lot... so credit to him!)

 Jared worked so hard on an Accounting project this semester. His accounting class was definitely the hardest this semester. His final project was analyzing the financial condition of 3 hospitals and giving recommendations. Jared spent many MANY hours on researching, highlighting, power pointing, etc all to get THE HIGHEST GRADE IN HIS COHORT AND WIN A $1500 SCHOLARSHIP! 

He also ended the semester with STRAIGHT A'S (and high ones too... ) 

I am so proud of him and all his work. He loves this program and loves being able to learn so much from his friends and professors. 

 We also had a ward ugly sweater party this year!

Jared and I should have won... but unfortunately because of Jared's school schedule... we were late. 

We had the best sweaters of the night (Ask anyone!) haha

Also, Did i mention we have made some AMAZING friends here?!?!?

And of course... I turned 22 on the 26th of November. Jared spoiled me rotten with my favorite perfume, a new watch, and dinner and shopping the weekend before! We spent my birthday driving to Utah but it was so worth it! Jared's family also spoiled me with new clothes and piano music and jewelry and so much more! I even got 2 packages from my parents and sister ... which if you don't know me... packages are like my favorite thing ever! I LOVE MAIL! I felt so loved by all of my friends and family for all the birthday wishes and everything! It was the best birthday week! :) 

 We are so excited to head to Arizona for a couple weeks for Christmas and New Years! I am so grateful for so many things this holiday season but Jared is the best thing of them all. We have been married for 13 months now and I can't even begin to express how wonderful this past year has been! He knows me better than i know myself and loves me unconditionally. I never thought it was possible to be with someone like him but I am so grateful he chose me to be his wife! Jared is the perfect man and I am so happy we get to spend forever together! I love him and his family and am so grateful to be a Williams!

Fall Frenzy

let's start things off the right way!

Fall is over, Winter is here, and I do nothing but work, play piano, watch Netflix, drink hot chocolate, and stay wrapped up in a blanket all day! The snow comes, then melts, and then comes back 2 weeks later. Not bad if I say so myself. As an Arizonan my whole life, never have I had to experience daylight savings. This year, I did and for some reason I was stressed out-- what if the clocks don't change, will i be late to work, how does this whole thing work! Thankfully my mama was here that weekend and was able to explain what it really was! 

Thanksgiving, my birthday, and our anniversary are all in two weeks and I am so excited. We get to go to Utah for Thanksgiving and celebrate with Jared's family. Until then... here are some pictures to summarize our fall! 

Our Halloween costumes.... Soap and a loofah! 

Our HPA friends:

The Jacksons-- Cowboys

The Wellers-- Dora, Swiper, and Boots

The Lyons-- Lady bug, Giraffe, Scarecrow, and whatever Jonathon was. We still dont know! :)

The prettiest fall tree! 

Jared's parents were here for the weekend and his dad taught me how to skip a rock! Was i good? no. but... it was so fun! 

Our fall day at Manito Park!

Jared bought me an early Christmas gift and we have a brand new piano in our home! I love it so much. I do nothing but play all day. It's the best!

My cute mama came to Spokane for the weekend and I have never been so happy. This was the only picture i got all weekend but I will cherish it forever!

Sarah, Savanna and I. Three HPA wives. Our husbands are all in the same program and the same year.... so us 3 ladies have gotten pretty close. Love them so much!

We had a friend take some family pictures of us this fall..... thanks again Kelia!

If you can't tell, we love it here. We could not have picked a better place to be and better friends to make. We are so grateful for the opportunity we have had to be here and can't wait to see what else is in store for us! 

Fall Weather!

I always get so frustrated when the people i blog stalk don't update.... and then I read mine. September? Ouch. I told myself I was going to be really good at updating... you know... keep all of our family and friends in the loop....and instead... I am having too much fun and simply forget!

Where has September AND October for that matter gone? 

Let me tell you!

September was spent at school, doing hair, and the YMCA, but we were able to get a bit of a break and go on a weekend trip to Seattle with some of my favorite people! Sam, Liz, and miss Avery were so nice to let us tag along with them as they showed us everything that is great about Seattle. We went to Pike's Fish Market (for all you bachelor fans Catherine took Sean here) and they even threw some fish and octopus for us! We also got to ride a ferry; so much fun! We even got free tickets to go to the WSU vs. Stanford game in a professional stadium. We are 5 of the cougars biggest fans! 

October started with a wonderful weekend filled with talks and inspiration from some of the most amazing people! If you missed it.. check it out!  We woke up on time both days (which is big for me) and even made breakfast both days. Impressive huh? We had some friends over for Navajo tacos and Scones... in which i managed to cook the rolls instead of letting them rise in the oven... so we had to do some improvising. Wet them down a bit... squish them... it was awesome! Needless to say it was an adventure and thankfully they still ate them :)

We have been loving all the fall weather and watching the leaves turn from green to yellow to orange to red. and then they fall all over the ground and roads! It's been so beautiful here! I wish I could freeze time and enjoy this a little longer before November hits! 

"That awkward moment when...."

Story of my life. I find myself saying this once a day. My husband tells me some days he wishes he could record me, or hang out with me all day long, because sure enough I WILL do something embarrassing that will always make him laugh. This week was no different!

I was so excited to become the newest member of Costco. I have the fondest memories of that place as a kid. I loved when my parents went to Costco. See, my mom was a huge coupon-er so we tended to have the "brand new" foods on the market in our home. Some good, some bad. But when you eat 10 fiber one bars in one day because you have nothing else,  you know it's time to go "real" grocery shopping as we called it.  My dad supported her in this... but would always make it a point to go to Costco for us every few weeks. <<love that man>>.  I always wanted to be on shopping trips with my dad; none of that healthy crap. We would buy the big box of cheese its, huge amounts of cereal, and my favorite, the rotisserie chicken. This trip to Costco by myself was no different. I bought the big box of cheese its, 2 boxes of cereal (that will probably last us a month plus) and a chicken (because everyone knows the feeling of not wanting to make dinner. problem solved). After i checked out and came home... I realized that Jared wasn't going to be home for another 2 hours. I figured I would just put the chicken in the fridge and then warm it back up in the oven. Sounded like a good plan. 

Well, about 30 minutes before J was supposed to be home, I googled (yes, don't make fun) "how long do I reheat chicken in the oven?" Most answers said around 10-20 min... depending on the oven and temperature and such, but to make sure you cover it so it doesn't dry out. Sounded easy... and knew by doing this Jared would be so proud. After pre-heating the oven, I put the chicken in a 9x13 pan and covered it with saran wrap. We were out of foil and every time I make something and stick the left overs in the fridge, Jared tells me to use saran wrap instead of foil (something about it keeping it more fresh). So wouldn't this be the same? These thoughts ran through my mind and I concluded that yes, saran wrap would work exactly the same and I was still going to have a great dinner. 

So I wrapped the chicken in the wrap and put it in the 375 degree oven for 10 min. Thankfully I am a paranoid freak when it comes to cooking and check my food every 5 min.... (always thinking it will cook faster) and this time was no different. After 5 minutes of being in the oven.... I opened the door to find the wrap melted all over my chicken that I "worked" so hard to prepare. I was devastated. Not because i had ruined dinner, but because as soon as I took it out I said out loud, "Duh. Plastic melts!" (why that thought didn't come 15 minutes earlier.... not sure)! I was so bummed. You really have no idea. 

I am grateful I have a husband who just laughed and shook his head and said "Oh babe....." that man is great let me tell you! We cut around the plastic parts and still ate our delicious (and burnt) chicken :)

Becoming one with Nature

Being here in Spokane has been so much fun! I am finally starting to feel like I am not on vacation any more... and that we are really here to stay! We have been so busy lately getting to know the area and all that it has to offer. We spend most days working and at school... but when we get a break... it's the best! We recently bought a new couch... nice microfiber sectional.... so that was great! We also went to "Pig Out in the Park" which is basically people watching and fair food at it's finest. 

One of our favorite places to visit, walk around, play games, and just talk is Manito Park. I am obsessed with all the beautiful homes here and keep trying to convince Jared that being millions of dollars in debt is worth it.... (just kidding.) For now, we both continue to dream about it and pick up as many house flyers as we can :)

 Jared loves to snap random pictures of me..... and if this one wasn't blurry I would say he had talent.... but needless to say he makes me laugh all the time. It's great!

 Smelling flowers

 Again... random picture.

Jared's First day of School.

He told me he hadn't taken a first day picture since he was 5. 

I informed him that I had one every year.

Our compromise: He will take one each year he starts school (So for 2 more years) and our kids will have one each year as well.

<<Great compromise huh?>>

Anyway Jared loves school. And people love him. (Is anyone really surprised?) 

He has class every evening for a few hours and spends his time during the day studying and reading a lot. He has met some really cool people in his program... which means WE have already made friends! Huzzah! We love friends. 

And then one of our favorite things we have done!

We had some friends tell us about GreenBluff Farms.... basically a pick your own fruit and get attacked by a ton of bees in a beautiful orchard. We ended up forgetting cash.... so we only were able to get a few peaches but definitely ate most and made jam out of the rest! Next time... apples and pumpkins and their sweet corn maze! 

 

Also... we just became the newest members at Costco and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. I have tried for 10 months now to convince Jared that we needed a membership... and since our apartment complex offers $20 off we decided to do it!

awkward and embarrassing

Being a member and taking the sacrament at church my whole life, you would think moving to Spokane wouldn't change anything. Unfortunately I have never been so embarrassed and felt so awkward and uncomfortable at the same time. I have requested that Jared tells this story; mostly because he is funnier than me, and I know he won't leave any details out. The more the better!

Here's Jared:

Well, hello there! This is my first blogging experience. Lets hope that it's a good one. I've been told that I am pretty funny, this is an understatement of course but lets hope that at least some of my genius hilarity transfers from person to blog.

The incident in question is the perfect description of Reagan's awkwardness, something that I have always loved her for. Let the record show that I do in fact love Reagan and that I am laughing WITH her not AT her.

Here we go... So Reagan and I were sitting on a small pew all to ourselves off to the side of the chapel towards the front. The ward here in Spokane is not huge but not small. So we probably stuck out a little bit but not too much. Either way, there were eyes on us. Watching. Anticipating... Well Reagan gave them something to talk about... So the sacrament was passed to us. Reagan was sitting closer to the aisle so she was passed the tray first. We took the bread without incident. The water was different. The deacon held the tray and waited for us to partake all the while watching our every move. Reagan moved to take a cup but last second changed her mind and took a different one (I'm not sure what makes one little cup of water better than another). This fake out drew more attention from the deacon and myself. Reagan went on to take another much better cup I guess. Put it to her lips and tilted her head back. Then, the most curious thing occurred. I watched in almost slow motion as Reagan took her cup and placed it back in the tray, not in the middle where the used cups go. No, she put it back in tray. Back with the other full cups. Back for someone to pick up and drink from. Back in the rotation I guess. Maybe a great desire to share or recycle overcame her, I don't know... I looked at her, she wasn't looking. Just being totally normal. I looked at the deacon, when our eyes met I saw the look of the most confused 12 year old I have ever seen. Fortunately for the rest of the congregation I don't share Reagan's view on sharing sacrament cups so when she passed me the tray I took her cup and put in it in the center of the tray with the rest of the used cups. Then I took my cup and drank. Reagan just stared at me when I trashed her cup. She just looked at me with a face that said, "Why would you do that?" It had totally lapsed her mind that I had thrown out HER cup not just any cup. I put my cup back in the tray (in the right spot) and gave it back to the bewildered deacon with a nod and small smile. By the time he got the tray Reagan connected the dots in her head. It was the most hilarious thing to watch her realize what she had done. At first she denied it. Then she embraced it as a one time thing. Then she said it might have happened before and she didn't notice. Then she remembered that we were in a new ward and everyone was watching her already. This made her think that she was going to get kicked out of church or something. Pure embarrassment. It was great. I just laughed under my breath the whole time.

That is the story of Reagan giving her sacrament cup back for everyone else to use.
Your welcome.

Home

WE MADE IT!

after 2 days of driving, eating sunflower seeds, jamming out to music, and having every part of my body fall asleep, I was finally able to say I was home. What a neat experience. We were so grateful to have had the Williams be here with us; they drove the trailer of all of our stuff up here. They stayed and helped us unpack Thursday night, and Friday we were able to show them around what we know of Spokane (which obviously isn't much). We took them to WSU, Riverfront Park, the grocery store, and a few other places around Spokane. The speed limit is only 35.... unless marked otherwise (which means it's 20). Being from AZ, we are known as the crazy and risky drivers here. Thank goodness for our Arizona license plate (I think that has saved us from some of the bad and dirty looks). 

 we stopped in twin falls which overlooks a beautiful canyon.

this cute family from Washington was even there to take our picture! :)

our stop at Riverfront Park. Totem poles and the Giant red wagon!

Our first Sunday in our new ward was great. As soon as we sat down, the spirit spoke so strongly to me that this was exactly where our family needed to be. The people in the ward are so friendly and genuine, I couldn't believe it! I am so excited to get to know more of them and be put to work!

For the win.... it was 75 degrees all day yesterday, and 78 today. You're welcome!

A New Start

Hi Everybody!

I'm Reagan. He's Jared. And together, we are the Williams.

He loves Ben and Jerry's ice cream,  cold showers, and listening to good music.

I love children, doing hair, and shopping.

Together we love date night, good food, and tickle fights.

Jared recently got accepted into WSU's Masters of Health Policy and Administration Program in Spokane.

^^which means packing boxes for days!

We have decided to make this blog for all of our family and friends to keep them posted on what is going on in our lives.

We really do love Arizona but are so excited for our new adventure.

We really can't wait to embark on this crazy journey together.

Here's to memories, new beginnings, and of course some crazy, awkward, embarrassing moments along the way!